The constitutional Court sitting in Mbale for hearing of the Age limit petition has heard from one of the petitioners challenging the 2017 constitutional Amendment Act that President Yoweri Museveni was not guided before he signed the bill into law in December last year.
A one Male Mabiriizi Kiwanuka, a businessman, in his submission to the Constitutional Court hearing in Mbale district on last evening, said the President of Uganda was never guided on Assenting to the bill.
He submitted that there was no Referendum for the people to say they agreed to amend the constitution. Court resumed this morning in Mbale.
Jackson Lutwatwa, one of the lawyers representing the petitioners added that President Museveni assented to the Bill when the Certificate of Compliance issued by the Speaker of Parliament was invalid.
The lawyer argued that the second Certificate was issued but there had not been any referendum. He concurred with Mabiriizi saying that the President should not have assented to the Bill that, among others, removed presidential age limits, restored the two-term limits and extended the term of office of parliament and the president from five to seven years.
Lutwatwa further pointed out that the bill the president assented to, has illegalities and irregularities as the certificates are invalid.
On Wednesday, Court was handling issue number 8, 11, and 12 of the petition.
On Monday 9, 2018, the Constitutional Court began hearing of the petition challenging the removal presidential age limits from the Constitution.
A panel of five judges led by Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo is hearing the petition at Mbale High Court. The other justices on the bench are Remmy Kasule, Elizabeth Musoke, Cheborion Barishaki and Kenneth Kakuru.
During the Thursday session, which is ongoing, Mr. Mabirizi told Court that as a business person, the constitution amendment has caused him anguish, asking judges to award him general damages and costs if he wins.
However, Senior Counsel Wandera Ogalo, lawyer to the other petitioner, Uganda Law Society told court they do not need costs but only prays for disbursements.
